Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 28: Birds and Circuses
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
Septimus was busy tending to his farm as he was mainly tending to the sheep that were brought into the barn. It had been two weeks since the failed attempt by the Brotherhood of Lions to steal him from Valinor as he was also making short work of the two priests who were forced to become farmhands on his land. Azelas was no stranger to dealing with farming as he was mainly cleaning up the barn and laying fresh straw for the sheep. After he finished up, he was ready to call it a day as he later spotted Jeremiah tending to the chicken house in which he recently laid out fresh straw. Both priests from the Brotherhood of Lions had no other choice but to work on Septimus' farm as they were also defeated from their original purpose, for they had no other choice but to become farmhands and not provoke Akio or any other higher-up in their wrath.
"The weather is a living hell here," said Jeremiah as he was putting some of the chickens up for the night. "The gods are toying with us in which our failed attempt to bring the Ancient back to our homeworld resulted in farming work."
"You shouldn't have tried to kidnap me in the first place," said Septimus. "And another thing, you should also thank the captain for sparing you and your superior or else you would've been spending your days rotting in a jail cell by now."
"This is utterly humiliating for a priest!"
"And this is utterly humiliating for us to tolerate your crap!" yelled Raminas as he entered into the barn. "You should be thankful that the captain of his Hunter Corps unit spared your sorry asses in which you're working to pay off the debt you owe!"
"Easy, my love," said Septimus. "They know their place, but they can't try to kidnap me forever. Otherwise, a certain captain will tattle to his superior and his mum happens to be the type that won't be lenient to you."
"Are you talking about Seto?" asked Azelas. "We all know of her temper and she'll have the gall to impale you if you ruffle her feathers too much." He sees a group of birds flying towards the castle as he was aware of the divine message that was made towards me. "And yet the sign is met with opposition, but sooner or later, Sam will cave and the future will give him a boon instead of a burden in mind."
It wasn't long until the northern wind kept blowing the moment Septimus noticed the sheep bleating in fear. The sound of the wind blowing was nothing new as the sheep were safely put in their pens in which it was mainly an early winter as predicted in the almanac. When Septimus rushed outside, he saw fresh snow falling on the ground as he had a gut feeling that the almanac's prediction came towards fruition. Even though October came without any problems, the fall weather itself was prematurely interrupted by the snow as it fell all over Skald Island, for this was an early winter that came towards the Skalvarg Archipelago so far…
I was busy taking care of the younger children as the older ones were at school. With Kazuko and Giles having their birthday next month, I was seeing them walking as they were also more attentive than most of the children that were in the nursery. What I didn't expect was that I spotted Aora and Ghimru rushing into the nursery as they were carrying two bags of Halloween candy in which their trick-or-treating came early, but I didn't want them to eat too much of it.
"It seems that you came home before three," I said.
"The teacher told us that the snow kept falling," said Aora as he opened up his bag of candy.
"Try not to eat too much of that or else you'll spoil your dinner."
"And you're mainly sick all the time," said Ghimru.
"I… try not to be, but I also have to be assessed due to the raw power that I have. It's not fun, but at least I don't have to do it all the time in which I also have to help Mommy take care of you and the other little ones."
"When I grow up, I'm gonna be in the Medical Corps in which I'll make sure that you're not sick all the time."
I had no problem with Ghimru wanting to be in the Medical Corps as he was mainly curious with all the trimmings. Aora, on the other hand, was mainly a gentle soul like his mother as he was also displaying his curiosity as well. I didn't mind it as I was also there to make sure that the oldest twins had what they needed, but the candy will be in moderation so it wouldn't spoil their dinner. By the time I left the nursery, I was in the hall as I noticed a seagull stuck on the window grate. When I opened it up, I freed the seagull as I spotted another message on its leg. When I removed it, I saw the same words that were on the paper as it was getting old real quick. The words, "It's baby time," scrawled on the paper kept coming towards me as this form of harassment was getting out of control against my wishes. Therefore, I had a way with dealing with the message as I went towards the main hall where the fireplace was.
I was ready to burn it as I didn't want to be bombarded by the same harassment that Minara experienced. I didn't want to be put in a baby trap as I was also getting fed up with what got thrown at me. When I burnt the message, I saw the flames destroying the words on it as I wasn't about to put up with the harassment that Minara was subjected to, for I was putting my foot down against what got pelted at me.
"This never ends, does it?" I said.
"What never ends?" asked Reiko as she saw me near the fireplace.
"It's the same barrage of messages of the same thing in which something is beckoning me to be an Incubator once again."
"That was what I heard from the two priests who were forced to work at Septimus' farm, but I also know that the Terran God is up to no good when it comes to seeing things his way."
"The same thing happened with Minara and I hope to the gods that it won't happen with me. I know that Minara is with child again in which Neville and his accomplice got their way by committing medical rape towards him. They even kidnapped him while he had his seed milked just to fertilize an Ancient's ovum and later have it injected into his body. Even though he was swayed to keep what he has, that doesn't mean that I'll be put through the ringer like he did. As for what Neville and his accomplice did, they're mainly on Ryosuke's shit list in which he'll arrest them the moment he sees them out in the open."
"Mr. Sam! The boys are making a mess in the kitchen!"
Carly's voice was heard through the room as I rushed to see what was going on. What I didn't expect was that Dirk and Gyatso were cooking non-stop as they were mainly getting dinner going. The smell of mutton cooking all over the place was strong as I noticed a leg of lamb cooking in the oven complete with some stew on the stove. Both boys were good cooks as I also had faith in what they cooked, for their prowess was mainly good, but not on the holidays due to the infamous turkey dildo that they made.
"A watched pot never boils," I said.
"Easy for you to say," said Dirk as he was stirring up the stew. "We've got mutton just for tonight in which we're 'baaad to the bone.'"
"I take it that you boys came home early, didn't you?"
"We ran into Philo earlier in which her dads gave us some mutton for dinner," said Gyatso.
"At least we're having it for dinner. After this, we'll have candy, but not too much because Reiko doesn't want you to eat too much of it."
"By the way, on our way home from school, we saw a bunch of birds flying towards the castle with messages on their feet. Is that normal?"
I rushed outside as I went towards the harbor in which I saw plenty of birds flying towards me. The messages on their feet were the same thing as I saw one of them fall onto the dock. When I picked up the message, I saw the same words, "It's baby time," scrawled in black ink on the paper as I didn't want to be forced into becoming an Incubator. I never wanted this. I never wanted to be forced into a corner like Minara did as I was getting fed up with the bombardment of messages that still want me to be an Incubator. When I went back inside, I went towards my room as I didn't want to deal with the harassment that kept me on edge.
"It's baby time!"
Those three simple words kept me from doing the simplest of tasks as I didn't want to deal with what was going on. I didn't want to become an Incubator again as I was getting tired of the frequent harassing messages that were being sent by birds. And yet, I kept hearing those three simple words as they were giving me a headache, for I didn't want to be put into the same mess that backed Minara into a corner.
"Enough!" I yelled. "Stop tormenting me, okay?! Just stop pressuring me to be an Incubator!"
The stress that I went through gave me a panic attack as I fell off the bed. I was suffering one of the worst bouts of anxiety imaginable as I didn't want to deal with being an Incubator anymore. It wasn't long until Reiko burst into the room as she saw me hyperventilating from the stress that I was under, for I was not about to let myself be under the pressure of being an Incubator for the rest of my life.
"Please, Sammy, don't let the stress get the better of you," I heard her say as I saw her holding my hand. "You can't let the ones forcing you to be an Incubator get the better of you."
It wasn't long until Reuben burst into the room in which he had to calm me down. He also knew about the continuous pressure of me being forced to be an Incubator again as I had to be taken to the infirmary wing as soon as possible, for the stress was too much for me already…
I woke up in the examination room in the infirmary wing as I was on a scanning table in which I was feeling uneasy due to the constant harassment I was under. Still, I was torn between resisting my unwanted calling and embracing it against my wishes. When I saw Reuben enter into the room, he was concerned about what was going on with me as he also didn't want me to suffer another panic attack, for this was too much for me due to the fact that I nearly lost my life just now.
"It never ends, does it?" I said.
"You got the same message like Minara did, didn't you?" said Reuben.
"It's been going on for two weeks now and not stopping. I can't deal with that harassment and whoever is doing it should learn to back and not send any birds with the same message."
"It was Chuck who is doing this to you. His crusade to 'keep the Arbiter from returning' ended up going to the worst extremes in which He kept badgering Minara after the Second Galvanic Uprising ended. With Neville and Abraham doing His dirty work, they won't stop until they force you to fulfill a role against your wishes."
"Well, Chuck needs to learn more about the art of consent!" I briefly sat up as Reuben laid me back down. "Even though He succeeded in meddling with what Minara carries in him, there's a much higher power just to keep Him in His place."
"It won't be easy, Sam. From what I noticed, your body is undergoing a change in which the crafted womb you bear is 'making room' in which you can't fight it."
"There's always a way to fight it and I don't want to be spending the rest of my days being an Incubator!"
"I can give you an inhibitor to stave off the crafted womb's urges, but if you keep resisting what you're trying to fight against, it'll be life threatening if that happened." Reuben fishes out a cartridge as he reveals a hypospray in which he uses it on my arm. "That'll slow the urges for now, but I must warn you that if you resist them, they will cause some of the worst side effects imaginable. I know that Minara also tried to resist the urges for him to carry a child in his crafted womb, but one side effect that lingered him was nausea."
"I should have had that crafted womb removed so I won't have this problem anymore…"
"It's impossible, but if that is ever removed, then expect the Brotherhood of Lions to be on your ass like a dog biting a mailman. Most Claudians revere men who were cursed by the gods with the crafted wombs as punishment for not paying enough attention to their wives or other family members. If one removes a crafted womb, the gods will cause catastrophe towards him and the people who live in his village. As for your own predicament, I suggest that you tread lightly, for you should also steer clear of those who are demanding you to be with child again."
Reuben's words worried me to the core as I had to guard myself from the likes of the pro-child trio: Neville, Abraham, and Chuck. I already have enough children in which I was also having high hopes for Dirk the moment he will soon take the Hunter Corps exam. Still, my urges to force me to "make room" in my crafted womb were put at bay for now as I got up from the scanner table and left the examination room. When I looked all over my surroundings, I noticed the messages not coming as I didn't see any more birds that had them attached to their legs. I was glad that everything subsided as I also had to be careful, for I also didn't want to end in the same boat as Minara did…
Dirk and Gyatso were still in the kitchen as they were still cooking the mutton that was in the oven and on the stove. The smell of dinner was coming smoothly as both boys were cooking in which they also noticed Reiko coming into the kitchen to see what was going on. She was mainly staring at Dirk as he was more than likely to be going towards the Hunter Corps as she would soon miss him, for he was doing his best to be the big brother of the family.
"Dinner is almost done," he said.
"I know, but next month, you'll be moving into the citadel with Brother and his unit," said Reiko.
"Yeah, but the exam takes a while to complete. I bet that Dean sailed through the exam like that."
"From what I heard from Sammy, the Hunter Corps selects the best in the field. If a few pass, then they'll be transferred to the unit of their choice."
"Dirk will be a great hunter," said Gyatso. "He did kick butt and take names when we were on our way home to Alecrast at the time."
"I'm almost on the cusp of manhood, but that doesn't mean that I can stay a kid forever," he said.
"I wonder how Sam's doing…"
Reiko was worried about my well-being as she rushed out of the kitchen and straight to the infirmary wing. When she found me sitting in a lounge room, she saw me fully calm as I was still touching where Reuben gave me the hypospray earlier. Still, she was concerned about my health as I also had to be aware of what my crafted womb demanded, for this was something that I had to deal with.
"I see that you're feeling a little better," she said to me.
"The hypospray that Reuben administered calmed the urges for now, but that doesn't mean that I'm out of the woods yet," I said.
"You're afraid of being with child again, aren't you?"
"Yeah, for this ongoing form of harassment won't let me slide. Neville wants me to be in that golden dog kennel on Atreides in which he'll even keep me there against my wishes."
"Sammy, I know that you're afraid, but you can't be scared forever. I know that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, for it'll be waiting for you at the end. The future is neither set in stone nor made freely. It's what's been put in front of us with the actions and decisions that we make. That was what Grandfather said, for his wisdom speaks volumes."
"Then let's see the future run its course..."
I held Reiko's hand warmly as I was glad that she was there for me. Still, I had to deal with my anxiety as I also had to deal with the harassment that ensued. The constant demand of having me with child weighed heavily on me as I also didn't want it to get to me, for the typical mess was put at bay for now…
Septimus was in the dining room as he was preparing dinner for his family. Life in his farmhouse was a wholesome one despite the fact that there were two fathers with their children caring for one another as everyone was waiting for their meal. The head of the household, Septimus, was mainly a strong and brawny man as he had navy hair and blue eyes while dressed in his typical Claudian garb with warm trousers and boots underneath. As for his Elven husband, Raminas, he was fair for an Elf as he had brown hair and green eyes while wearing the typical garb that most Elves wore. Still, life was good as their children were a mixture of Elven and Half-Elven as they were at the table setting the table for the meal that was made for dinner. Even Azelas and Jeremiah were seated as they were mainly ready to have a meal with the ones who spared them, for they were at the mercy of the captain next door, to be precise.
"Here's the mutton stew," said a Half-Elf girl as she set a large pot on the table.
"It smells good, Philo," said Raminas.
"At least we gave those boys from the castle some mutton for dinner."
"You have hospitality for a same-sex couple," said Azelas.
"A family is what you make of it," said Septimus as he brought some dinner rolls to the table with some butter. "It doesn't matter if it's a man or woman, two men, or two women running the house. All we have is our farm and each other."
"Almighty gods and the Matriarch," said Jeremiah. "We thank thee for this meal and we give thanks for what is given to us… Faram."
"Faram," everyone said as they got their fill of food.
Everyone ate their fill of the mutton stew as it was a very filling one indeed. Still, the premature start of winter was nothing new as it was also a time to prepare for the bitter cold. Even Azelas praised everyone as he was seeing them eating their fill of the stew and their bread in which he was no stranger to be in good hospitality. The dinner continued to go on until the food was gone in which everyone did their part to clean up the kitchen and dining room before warming themselves in the main hall where the fireplace was. Life at Septimus' farmhouse was a homely one as everyone was here and safe, for the northern wind wasn't letting up when it came to bringing in a premature winter on the horizon…
Later on in the evening, Azelas and Jeremiah were up in the attic as they were ready to welcome the morning tomorrow. Both priests were here to tend to Septimus' farm as punishment for trying to steal him out of Valinor. The attic they were in had only one bed as Jeremiah was no stranger to sleeping on the floor in which he allowed Azelas to take it. Still, they were at the mercy of not only Septimus and his family, but Akio as he didn't want them to cause a problem. It was said that Septimus' farmstead was one of the top producers of mutton, leather, and wool as the sheep were the finest that were raised and grown here. Still, Azelas and Jeremiah had to deal with what was dealt with them as they were also starting to miss their daily lives on Claudius, for they were far away from their homeworld and the warm weather that came with it.
"The gods still hold sway of our fate," said Jeremiah as he was on the floor.
"We mustn't complain about our punishment," said Azelas. "After getting an earful from Akio, we had no choice but to work here at the place where Septimus calls home."
"The Skalvarg Archipelago here on Valinor is nothing like Claudius in which the northern wind always comes here without warning."
"I have studied this place in which it was also where it was once a thriving continent, only to have a malevolent force destroy part of the land and sinking it into the sea during the time of the Dark Awakening. It was also a battleground between the Oranges and the Blues in which the enemies were willing to come here and invoke the rule of extremist Christianity on the ones who fled from the horrors of war. Several soldiers who were stationed here under Emperor Esteban and his successor, Emperor Todd, had to fend off most of the Blues, but to no avail. It's been said that a Draaza woman and her Va'Kihri wife fended off most of the Blues in which they were aided by the divine wind that blew them away. In the end of it all, the soldiers who prayed for the divine wind to stop the enemies ended up sacrificing themselves to protect their subordinates when they noticed a bomb here on Skald Island that couldn't be diffused. They took it away from their unit in which they lost their lives defending the island and the people who lived on it."
"They ended up being brave in the end, didn't they?"
"After the Blues backed off, the unit found the bodies of their subordinates in which they were blown to bits save for the hands holding each other in a crater near the Raven District. Emperor Todd gave them a funeral and had their remains buried with honors in which their sacrifice and duty would never be forgotten. The tragedy of war here on Valinor was a costly one in which it caused so many vulnerable people to be displaced for twenty-five years. Even though the war ended twelve years ago, there was also the presence of the Second Galvanic Uprising in which the Executive Division was hell-bent on subjugating the entire Ashizoka System when they discovered the Sol Project, only to have those derelict satellites destroyed. In the end of this debacle, war and death show no prejudice, for the high cost of it will always linger."
"And there will be a further sign in their memory in the future…"
Both Azelas and Jeremiah fell asleep as they were waiting for the next day. Still, they had their work cut out for them as they also had to deal with the farmwork. The daily chores and tending to the livestock were a demonstration for giving the two priests a little bit of humility as they were also at the mercy at the man they tried to kidnap, for this was a form of being mindful of everything instead of being a laughingstock to their brethren…
The next morning, I was up and alert as I didn't have any problems with the barrage of messages sent by birds yesterday. I was mainly in the kitchen preparing breakfast as it consisted of rolled pancakes with vanilla skyr and blackberry syrup with a side order of merguez links that were spicy, but good for combating cold and flu season. By the time I finished up, I went towards the table with my plate as I was sitting down with my family in which they were also eating breakfast. Even though I tolerated the merguez links, I also ate at my breakfast as I was more than likely to be starting the day once the children were ready to go to school. When I finished my breakfast and later rushed into the kitchen to wash my dishes, I went outside to where the harbor was as I saw the fresh snow still falling on the ground. Even though it was in the middle of October, there was no getting past the northern wind as I noticed some Halloween decorations blowing from the posts that were on the dock. It was the first time that a certain festivity was overwhelmed by snow as I didn't mind it due to my years at the fort on Gehenna, for this was mainly the presence of the northern wind bringing an early winter here on Skald Island.
"Sammy, what are you doing outside?" asked Reiko as she rushed towards me.
"I hate to say this, but there won't be any trick-or-treating in the snow," I said.
"Gyatso told me about it. He also said that school is closed until the weather clears."
"Then today is a snow day."
Reiko and I saw the fresh snow still coming down as we noticed a Halloween windsock blowing in the distance. The arrival of an early winter was a sign in itself as we saw the snow blowing everywhere. It was also a sign that even kept the birds away as I didn't see any more of them flying with the same message on their feet. By the time we got back into the castle, we warmed ourselves by the fire as we also noticed our oldest twins there while roasting marshmallows with metal sticks, for they were stuck at home due to the weather.
"Looks like we have an indoor campfire," I said.
"Our teacher wouldn't let us go to school today," said Aora as he was eating at the marshmallow he roasted earlier. "She said that the snow kept coming down in which there won't be any trick-or-treating on Halloween."
"It's better than catching a cold, young man," said Reiko.
"I wished that we lived somewhere like what Uncle Minara has," said Ghimru. "It's too cold up here…"
"You're not the only one who had to brave the cold," I said. "I've been in cold weather most of my life in which I also had to suffer from the worst situations imaginable. I even took care of the chicken house in which I had to give them fresh straw for their bedding and fresh feed and water to eat and drink."
"You cleaned up a chicken house?"
"I did more of my fair share of chores in which I also had to be cautious as well. It made me more responsible than I thought as the work at the fort on Gehenna wasn't easy for me."
"Mr. Sam! There's a bird in the house!"
I got up as I went into the hallway in which I noticed Carly cornering a pigeon with a message on its leg. When she gave the message to me, I read it as it was the same one over and over again. The harrowing words, "It's baby time," kept harassing me as I didn't want to adhere to becoming an Incubator again. Even though I received the hypospray to calm the urges of the crafted womb in my body, I wasn't out of the woods yet as I also noticed the pigeon with an injured wing. Mainly, most vulnerable birds flew south to warmer climates for the winter as the pigeon in Carly's arms was struggling to fly.
"The bird fell into the castle with his wing broke," she said.
"The bird should also be careful where it flies into," said Reiko as she used her Nephilim abilities to heal its wing. "That's better, for you should also be a little cautious where you deliver messages."
The pigeon flew out of Carly's arms as it flew towards the window. When we saw it leave, we were stuck in a state of uncertainty as I ended up closing up the window after all that has happened. When I returned to the main hall, I saw Chuck sitting next to the fireplace as he was not only warming his hands, but writing on pieces of paper as I didn't want to deal with him right now. He was adamant into giving me the same message that he gave to Minara as he wouldn't stop until I accepted the purpose of becoming an Incubator again, for he wasn't about to budge anytime soon.
"How's it going, Sam?" he said to me.
"So, you continue to bring your birds to send my your ridiculous message just like you did with Minara," I said. "Whatever you're planning, it won't happen because of the fact that I don't have time for it."
"Sure you do; you just don't want to resume your duty as an Incubator."
"I won't be an Incubator again, you got that?!"
"Sure you will 'cause it's also a way and mean to keep you grounded, especially with those terrorists who became the big bad after the Executive Division went tits-up. All I'm doing is giving you the message plain and simple."
"So, you're harassing me the same way like you did Minara?! You went too far into allowing Neville and his shady accomplice to do your dirty work in which you succeeded by having them drug him, have his seed milked to fertilize an Ancient's ovum, and later injected it into his body. He may not take it well at first, but he also couldn't piss off the Brotherhood of Lions, who actually run Claudius while its Emperor is just mainly a figurehead. Luckily, he had support to keep what you forced upon him in which the ovum donor happen to be part of the Rainfeather Brigade that brought down a despot a thousand years ago. As for my own problem, I won't adhere to your message like what happened to Minara."
"This isn't up for discussion, Sam. Sooner or later, you'll embrace your role as being an Incubator like your past self embraced his role as a hunter instead of chasing a normal life. Sooner or later, you'll thank me for my involvement and there's no going back on what you'll bear. If you also don't think that I don't know anything about the Zenith Vectors, but I know what they do in which they only want one thing: human supremacy! And as for your resistance against your role as an Incubator, if you don't adhere to your duty, then I'll recruit the usual suspects to make you do it! It's baby time, Sam, and don't you forget it!"
I was ready to punch Chuck until I saw Ferdinand appear out of nowhere. He wasn't having it as he grabbed Chuck and transported Him back to his humdrum home on the outskirts of the Grey Havens. As usual, he wasn't having it as he was more than likely to be more strict with keeping Him there, for He wasn't about to be off the hook just yet.
"You really know how to piss people off, don't You?" he said.
"I'm only here to have Sam get the message, that's all," said Chuck.
"Really, Brother? You delivered the same message to Neville and his accomplice to do Your dirty work in which You were also harassing Minara and eventually succeeding in forcing him to be an Incubator against his wishes."
"And what about you, Amara? You caused mayhem to the point of blotting out the sun!"
"Don't You dare deadname me, Chuck!" Ferdinand grabs Him by the scruff of His robe as he was ready to let Him have it. "If You ever do that, then you can kiss Your limited powers goodbye, You got that?! As for Your continued harassment by forcing Sam to be an Incubator against his wishes, we all know that nothing good will come out of it in."
"There will be something good out of it 'cause I've seen what the Zenith Vectors have done! They even tried to kill a group of innocent fangirls until Team Free Will stepped in and saved the day! The Zenith Vectors don't give a rat's ass about the other humanoids living all over the Ashizoka System. With the head honcho of that terrorist group wanting Sam to open up abandoned Draaza tech to fuel his own desires for human supremacy, he'll get a big surprise coming when a certain moose has a bun in the oven and he'll dump him just like his clones. A win-win, right?"
Ferdinand rushed towards the god table as he noticed a ferry on a board that resembled a game of Risk. He saw the toy boat near an image of Skald Island as he was wanting to remove it until a barrier barred him from doing so. Staring at Chuck, he wanted to wring His neck as he wasn't too happy with Him, for He really was in the doghouse right now.
"What the hell did You do?!" he yelled.
"Doing what should've been done eight months ago," said Chuck as he grinned.
"You dispatched Neville and Abraham over to Skald Island, didn't you?"
"There's always the slogan, 'If you can't get something done right, you have to do it yourself.' I'm mainly forcing Sam to be an Incubator whether you like it or not. You may say that nothing good will come of it, but that unwanted status will save his life from the assholes who made their mark by committing the worst acts of terrorism imaginable."
"Are you talking about the Zenith Vectors?"
"In the Elder Days and the ones before them, there's been some butt-loads of terrorist cells stemming from al-Qaeda to MS-13. There were even domestic terrorists who blew up the federal building in Oklahoma City because the perp wanted vengeance against the government for their intrusion in Ruby Ridge and Waco. Don't tell me that you don't know terrorism more than you do 'cause some of them had the gall to kill in My name! For the record, as soon as Sam accepts his duty as an Incubator, the better we put the Zenith Vectors in their place. I also know that they don't accept men who go against the law of nature, but they won't see a thing coming when Sam is with child again."
"You really know how to operate things beyond the pale, but this better be Your last time that You're doing it!"
Ferdinand left without a trace as Chuck was left in his humdrum home while staring at the god board that looked like a game of Risk. When He picked up a newspaper, He saw the front page as an image of the Zenith Vectors were making the headlines. He had a loathing for them as He viewed them to be extremely dangerous in which He also knew of Jacob Doran very well. He remembered the presence of the Zenith Vectors' head honcho as He never forgot how the latter killed some refugees on Rietza when the Wasting occurred. He also had a grudge against him for causing havoc in which He even had a hand in banishing him for the heinous crime. Still, Chuck was aware of the Zenith Vectors' machinations as He also feared the worst when I was targeted to be a key to unlocking leftover Draaza technology that was abandoned for centuries. The purpose of me being an Incubator gave Chuck an edge as He also didn't want me to fall prey to the Zenith Vectors, for they were on the most wanted list on every planet imaginable…
I was in the bathhouse as I was soaking in one of the bathtubs. I was exhausted from what got thrown at me as I wanted to go to bed after this. Still, there were the frequent forms of harassment towards me to be an Incubator as I didn't want to "do my duty" in which that department was mainly reserved for women only. My day was nearly over as I also wanted to stay in bed for the rest of the week, but I would soon endure more frequent harassment in the form of me being forced to endure the possible "baby time" that kept plaguing me the same way that it did with Minara. Still, I wondered how he was doing as I wanted to visit him on Claudius again, but for now, I had to endure the cold that the northern wind had brought for now.
"I just wish that most people would stop harassing me to no end," I said to myself.
I continued to soak in the bathtub as I was more than likely to be getting out of there later. By the time I got out of there, I dried myself off with a towel as I put on a robe the moment I left the bathhouse. When I went to my room, I laid down in my bed as I wanted to fall asleep for the rest of the night. I just wanted to fall asleep as I couldn't take the frequent harassment from those who demanded me to be with child again. I didn't want to bend the knee as I still remembered Minara's words clearly, for they were a reminder of how I had to be defiant against a purpose that went against my wishes.
"If you see Neville, don't let him get to you. Don't let him use you like he did me."
Those words were ingrained in my mind as I was also trying to get away from the same message that plagued Minara to no end. No…, I didn't want anyone to force me to go against my own wishes as I had to make sure that I wouldn't be forced to carry children like Minara did. It was my body and choice, not anyone else's as I had to make it clear that I wouldn't be an Incubator for the rest of my days. When I was about to fall asleep, I saw Reiko coming into the room as she was concerned about what was going on, for she didn't want me to suffer much worse after enduring the harassment that I had for a while.
"You're worried about being an Incubator, aren't you?" she said to me.
"Chuck won't leave me alone about this in which he succeeded in allowing his cohorts to force Minara to bear an ovum that was fertilized by his seed," I said.
"Minara's with child again, isn't he?" I nodded sincerely. "Does Mizuwa know this?"
"She does, for she also knows how the ovum in Minara's body was one of the archers who ousted a Claudian despot a thousand years ago."
"Emperor Caedrios… Grandfather told me about him before in which he instilled fear to his people for four years. He even reveled in torture towards those who spoke against him and also instilled such extravagant orgies against the wishes of his people. In his final year of his reign, the Rainfeather Brigade tracked him down in which they fired their arrows into him, thus ending his tyranny once and for all."
"Ippei…, always the scholar…"
I felt a chill in the air as I saw the window to our room open up. What I didn't expect was that the snow was blowing into it as I closed the window and later crawled back into bed. With Reiko doing the same, she was wet from taking a bath earlier as I held her in my arms. We didn't get out of our bed as we also had our reasons to do so the moment we snuggled in each other's arms. Both of us heard the sound of the northern wind howling as we also welcomed the chill that came after it. We didn't mind it as we also had to deal with the premature winter that came along. The impact of the northern wind was something that kept us here in the first place as we didn't mind its presence, for we were here in the long furlough that kept me grounded to begin with.
"Winter came early," said Reiko.
"And Halloween will be coming in two weeks," I said.
"The children won't be able to collect candy from other places due to the snow falling on the ground."
"I know, but one of the boys is wanting to dress up as Superman. As for the rest of the children, if they're going trick-or-treating, they need to wear warm clothes while walking in the snow."
"For the record, you can worry about everyone, but you should also be cautious yourself in which you can't be bogged down by anxiety forever. I worry about you, for you should also be brave with what gets put in front of you."
I held Reiko's hand warmly as I didn't want to let her go right now. After all the harrowing things that happened to me, I had to keep them at bay as I also didn't want to be worried about being an Incubator again. It was my body and choice as I also had to be vigilant in what got put in front of me, for I didn't want to be under the barrage of harassment right now…
To be continued...